French television channel M6 has explained why it will not broadcast the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup clash between Argentina and Algeria.
The match, scheduled for the night of June 16 to June 17, will kick off at 3am French time, making it a difficult slot for mainstream television audiences.
M6, which secured rights to broadcast 54 matches from the 2026 World Cup in France, confirmed that the Argentina versus Algeria fixture was not selected for free to air coverage.
Speaking during a press conference, M6 programmes director Guillaume Charles defended the decision, insisting audience figures played a major role.
“Unfortunately, at 3am, even if many people can wake up, there will not be as many viewers as for other matches we selected,” he explained.
The decision is expected to disappoint many Algerian supporters in France who were hoping to watch the Fennecs face the reigning world champions without needing a subscription service.
However, M6 had already indicated weeks earlier that its focus would mainly be on matches played between 6pm and 11pm French time.
M6 group boss David Larramendy previously stated that the broadcaster intentionally prioritised fixtures with more favourable viewing hours for European audiences.
As a result, many of the matches selected by the channel involve prime time kickoffs, including France’s group stage encounters against Senegal, Norway and Iraq.
Supporters hoping to watch Algeria’s opening World Cup clash against Argentina in France will instead need access to beIN Sports, which holds broader tournament broadcasting rights.
The match is already generating huge excitement as Vladimir Petkovic’s Algeria side prepare to face Lionel Messi’s Argentina in one of the standout group stage fixtures of the tournament.
